Web roll supporting mechanism



g- 2, 2- c. s. CRAFTS ,5

wEBRoLL SUPPORTING ummmsu Filed April 22. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 2, 1932.

C. S. CRAFTS WEB ROLL SUPPORTING MECHANISM Filed April 22, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WVENTOR.

ATT 'EY Aug. 2, 1932. c. s. CRAFTS 9,

WEB ROLL SUPPORTING MECHANISM Filed April 22, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 g- 2, 1932- c. s. CRAFTS 1,869,545

WEB ROLL SUPPORTING MECHANISM Filed April 22. 1929 4-Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES CURTIS S. CRAFTS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR TO GOSS PRINTING PRESS GOM- PANY, A CORPORATION ILLINOIS WEB ROLL surromme MECHANISM Application filed April 22,

' The invention relates to new and useful improvements in web roll mechanisms and more particularly to means for handling and supporting web rolls including rolls of different widths, for registering the rolls and the web fed therefrom with respect to a printing press or other web-using machine,

' for tensioning the drawn-off webs, and finds a broad field of usefulness in high-speed 1 rotary printing presses as well as in other web-using machines, which employ heavy web rolls and run at-high speeds.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the

same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, construction, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illus trate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form or arrangement of web roll handling and supporting mechanism embodying the invention, certain parts being broken away and others in section, for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 2 is an end view looking from the left f Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end View looking from the right of Fig. 1.

The invention has for its primary object the handling, alining, rotatably supporting, laterally registering and braking of web rolls of paper and other material, and for effecting these functions with web rolls of various widths, the web being usually drawn 0E undertension andalso at high and varying 'speeds'by the web-consuming machine. The invention is. further directed to the provision 1929. Serial No. 357,127.

of such a mechanismwhich is unusually adequate, compact and efiicient for performing all of these functions separately and conjointly, and Without causing disturbance or necessitating.readjustment of one mechanism by reason of the operation or adjustment of the other means.

A further object of theinvention is the provision of such a mechanism by which the ordinary web-roll supporting spindle or mandrel is rendered unnecessary, thereby dispensing with the necessity of fastening a brake pulley to the spindle, bringing the pulley into proper relation with the brake mechanism of the press, readjusting the brake mechanism, and later removing the brake pulley from the spindle or mandrel of the exhausted roll. By my mechanism a web roll is automatically, positively and accurately positioned with respect to the mechanism, is quickly operatively mounted on its supports, is very quickly and accurately broughtinto lateral registration with the printing press cylinder or other web-using machine, for web rolls of all widths, and is immediately in proper relation with the braking or tension controlling mechanism, and. an exhausted roll is removed from the press or other web-using machine with a minimum of time and trouble. Further, by

my invention the tension on the web exerted by suitable braking means remains substantially constant as the web is fed from the web roll and the web roll diminishes in size and the braking mechanism need not be continually adjusted to compensate for the varylng diameter of the web roll. a

It will be understood that the foregoing general description, and the following detailed description as well, are exemplary and explanatory of the invention, but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring 'now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, the invention .is shown as applied to a web roll positioning, supporting, registering and controlling mechanism, such as is used on high speed rotary printing presses and elsewhere, and wherein the web roll may be quickly and easily replaced by a new roll when exhausted.

In said exemplary form, the general frame structure comprises a pair of end plates 10, 11 on which are mounted end frames 12, 13, these end plates being recessed to receive a corresponding projection or tongues 14, 15

on the bottoms of end frames 12 and 13,

thereby allowing the end frames to slide on end plates 10, 11. For bearing surfaces, wear plates 16 are interposed between the end plates 10, 11 and end frames 12, 13. The end frames are spaced apart a definite distance by means of guide rods 18, 19, passing through apertures at the sides of the end frames 12, 13 and secured to the end frames by set screws 20.

Referring now to the embodied means for supporting and registeringthe web supplyroll 25, two spaced-apart parallel rollers 27, 28, on which the roll is supported, are journaled in the end frames 12, 13 by means of roller bearings 29. Rollers 27, 28 are horizontally alined and positioned approximately cen- V trally of the machine, one roller lying on each side of the longitudinal center line of the machine. Preferably, rollers 27 and 28 are hollow, and secured by screws 31 to the enlarged hubs 32 at the ends of stud shafts 33, by which the rollers are rotatably supported in the end frames of the machine, being held therein, against axial movement, by collars 35 at each side of the roller bearings 29, the collars being removably secured to shafts 33 by set screws.

Means are provided for preventing endwise movement of the web roll on the supporting rollers, as the web is fed to the printing press or other web-using machine and comprise a pair of similar members 36, 37 surrounding each of the supporting rollers and releasably secured thereon by set screws, whereby the collars may be variably positioned for use with different widths of web rolls. In use, the collars are spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the web roll, and are preferably placed at an equal distance from the center of the roller on which they are mounted, thereby to maintain the web roll at the middle portion of the roll ers by reason of the sloping sides of the collars 36, 37 which maintain the axis of the web roll parallel to the axis of the supporting rollers and in addition, prevent endwise movementof the web roll on the rollers 27, 28.

In the embodied form of stcadying means, for keeping the web roll on the rollers, and preventing its rolling off the rollers when the speed of rotation of the web roll is changed or when the braking mechanism retards the rotation of the supporting rollers in a manner more fully set forth below, there are provided a pair of pedestal-like supports 40, 41, one at each end of the web roll, and slidably mounted on spaced apart guiding rods 18, 19 1n0u11ted in end frames 12, 13 by means of elongated sleeves 43, 4 1, fitting over the rods 18, 19. For accommodating web rolls of different widths, pedestals can be slidably moved along rods 18, 19 and held at the proper distance apart by set screws 45.

.As embodied, axial orifice engaging means, forming a part of the steadying means, comprises a pai'rof chncks46,having reduced ends 47 to fit within the axial orifice of the web roll, and formed integrally with stub shafts 48, which shafts are slidable within bushings 49 and are releasablyheld against outward movement within the bushings by collars 50, held fast to the shafts by set screws 51. \Vhen an exhausted web roll is to be replaced by a new roll, the set screws are loosened, allowing the chucks to be moved outwardly to release the old core, and then moved inwardly to engage the ends of the axial orifice of the new web roll. For permitting universal twisting of the bushings within the movable heads 52 which carry the shafts in pedestal-like supports 40, 41, these bushings 49 are formed with a central spherical portion 53 fitted between the two halves of head 52 and movable therein.

Means are also provided whereby the axial orifice-engaging chucks and the heads in which they are journaled are permitted to have a small amount of restrained horizontal movement, in order to center the roll, and, as here embodied, heads 52 are channeled on their upper side to fit over and slide along guides 58. For restraining horizontal movement of the heads, alined pins 54 project from opposite sides of the head and fit within sockets 55 formed in the sides'of the U- shaped carrying members 56, and around these pins, and between the heads and carrylng member sides are coiled compression springs 57. As the web roll tends to roll off from its supporting rollers 27, 28, the springs 57 on the side towards which the roll is moving, are compressed, restrain its movement and then assist the force of gravity in returning the roll to its normal, central position.

For allowing the chucks to follow the axis of the roll, as the size of the roll diminishes and as the web is consumed by the printing press or other web-using machine, means are provided allowing the heads and their U- shaped carrying members to move vertically within the pedestal-like supports. As shown in the. present illustrative embodiment of the invention, pedestal-like supports 40, 41 have formed centrally thereof vertically-extending guides 60, 61, between which is slidably mounted the U-shaped carrying members 56. Flanges 62, 63 extend from each side of the U-shaped members and keep the members 56 in a vertical path.

In the embodied form of registering mechanism, for registering the web fed from the web roll with the web-using machine, such as the plates on the cylinders'pf a printing press, a threaded member 70, journaled in an upstanding bracket 71, formed integrally with and centrally of end plates 10 engages with a threaded, alined aperture in the upstanding portion 72 of end plate 12. At its outer end, threaded member 70 has fixed thereon a hand-wheel 73 and at the other side of bracket 71, is secured a collar 74, which prevent axial movement of the threaded member 70. On turning hand wheel; 7 3, end frame 12 is moved laterally and carries with it guide rods 18, 19, end

frame 13, rollers 18 and 19, supports 40, 41

and the web roll carried thereby.

The brake mechanism for controlling the tension of the web and maintaining the tension of the web substantially constant, as the size of the roll diminishes, comprises a brakepulley 80, fastened to the end.81 of one of the roller stub shafts 33 (preferably at the end opposite the registering mechanism) having a deep V-shaped, peripheral groove, coacting with the .V-shaped arcuate brake shoes 83 securely fastenedto arcuate brakearms 84, 85, pivoted, respectively, on stub shafts 86, 87 extending outwardly from the upwardly extending portion 88 of end frame 13. Brake arms 84, 85 are pressed together, thereby tensioning the web, by means of spring '89 on link 90, pivoted in the upper end 91 of brake arm 85 and passing loosely through an aperture in the upper end of brake arm 84. The compression of spring 89, and the braking force exerted by the brake, is varied by turning hand wheel 92 threaded on the outer end of link 90. I

Means are provided for applying the braking force to both rollers 27, 28, thereby reducing the tendency of the web roll to roll off the rollers when the speed at which the web is fed is changed and in the present embodiment' comprises gearing for connecting the rollers 27, 28 together. As here shown, at one end of the machine there is provided a a pair of gears 95, 96 of the same size and number of teeth, mounted on the roller shafts 33. These gears each mesh with idler gear 97, journaled on stub shaft 98 mounted on the upstanding portion 72 of end frame 12.-

By reason of this gearing the rotation of the two rollers is always synchronized, and the braking of one retards the rotation, of the other to the same extent.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim is 1. Web roll supporting mechanism including in combination a pair of rollers parallel to each other for rotatably supporting the web roll, spindles engaging the ends of the axial orifice of the web roll for steadying the web roll on the rollers and laterally movable supports in which said spindles are mounted.

2. Veb roll supporting mechanism including in combination a pair of rollers parallel to each other for rotatably supportino the Web roll, spindles for engaging the ends of the axial orifice of the web roll and laterally movable supports in which said spindles are rotatably mounted and are vertically movable.

3. Web roll supporting mechanism including in combination a pair of rollers parallel 'to each other for rotatably supporting the web roll, rotatable spindles for engaging the ends of the axial orifice of the Web roll and supports in which said spindles are uniing in combination spaced apart supporting means for engaging the periphery of and for rotatably supporting the Web roll, spindles. for engaging the axial orifice of the web roll and laterally yielding means against which said spindles are movable whereby the web roll is maintained on the supporting means. I

5. Web roll supporting mechanism including in combination a pair of rollers parallel to each other for rotatably supporting the web roll, spindles for engaging the axial orifice of the web roll, supports at the ends of the web roll in which said spindles are rotatable and vertically movable and laterally yielding means against which said spindles are movable for retaining the web roll on its supporting rollers.

6. Web roll supporting mechanism including in combination a pair of rollers parallel to each other for rotatably supporting the web roll, rotatable spindles for engaging the ends of the axial orifice of the web roll, and supports in which said spindles are vertically movable and are yieldingly restrained against horizontal movement. I

7. Web roll supporting mechanism including in combination a pair of rollers parallel to each other for rotatably supporting the web roll, spindles-engaging the axial orifice of the web roll, a frame in which the rollers are rotatably mounted, and supporting members for the spindles mounted on said frame and movable axially of the web roll to accommodate Web rolls of different widths.

8. Web roll supporting mechanism including in combination a pair of rollers parallel to each other for rotatably supporting the web roll, a pair of vertical supports atthe ends of the web roll, vertically and horizontally movable members mounted in said vertical supports and spindles universally 9. Web roll supporting mechanism including in combination a pair of rollers parallel to each other for rotatably supporting the web roll, a pair of vertical, laterally movable supports at the ends of the web roll, a frame in which the rollers are rotatably journalled and on which the supports are mounted, and means for bodily moving the frame supports, rollers and the web roll supported thereby axially of the Web roll to laterally register the web roll with a web using machine.

10. Web roll supporting mechanism including in combination a pair of rollers parallel to each other for rotatably supporting the web roll, a pair of vertical, laterally movable supports at the ends of the web I roll, a frame in which the rollers are rotata bly journalled and on which the supports are mounted for lateral movement, spindles universally mounted in said supports for engaging the ends of the axial orifice of the web roll and spring means for yieldingly resisting horizontal movement of the spindles to maintain the web roll on the rollers.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

QURTIS S. CRAFTS. 

